"The First Noel" of Christmas

On this episode of Christmas Merry and Bright, Raymond Arroyo, an award-winning broadcaster, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed vocalist, unveils the hidden backstory of "The First Noel" and how it became the first contemporary American Christmas carol to gain worldwide acclaim.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Christmas, Mary and Bright play backstories. I'm Raymond Arroyo,
revealing the hidden stories behind some of the most beloved
Christmas songs of all time. Thanks for being with us.
When I was putting together my new album, Christmas Marry
and Bright, I wanted to create a special medley that
I've always felt should have existed. The first song is

(00:22):
the first Noel, which originated in what we're called miracle
plays now some of the oldest forms of theater, with
these miracle plays based on biblical stories, including the birth
of Jesus. The first Noel dates back to the thirteenth
or fourteenth century. In Cornwall, England. We hang decorations or

(00:42):
go shopping to prepare for Christmas, but the citizens of
Cornwall would take to the streets and sing this song
to convey the wonder and excitement of the season. Noel
means Christmas, but it comes from the French word, which
means news. The English root of that word comes from noel,
which translates into shout of joy, which I think is appropriate.

(01:07):
And the other song that we paired the first Noel
with was written in New York in eighteen fifty seven
for a Christmas pageant. It's been titled The Quest of
the Magi, which I much prefer to the popular title
We Three Kings, as those of you who've read my
book The Wise Men Who Found Christmas. No, there were
more than three. They were not kings, and they were

(01:29):
not from the far East. But other than that, it's
a great song. The Bible says they were magi, consultants
to royalty who likely lived in the Kingdom of Nabatilla
that's modern day Petra, Jordan, which was technically the Orient,
meaning east. It was east of Jerusalem. Now, this song
is the first contemporary American Christmas Carol to gain worldwide acclaim.

(01:53):
It was written by John Henry Hopkins. He was a
journalist in an Episcopalian deacon. I slightly adapted his lie
for accuracy. The We Three Kings has been replaced with
something more historic. But I love that both of these
songs are linked. They're centered around the Bethlehem Star and
the dawning light of the Christ Child. Our take is

(02:15):
filled with mystery. It's kind of exciting. You know, Carol's
were originally folk songs sung mostly in pubs. They were
actually folk dances. Did you know Carol means a dance
in a ring, so they were lively things. And I'm
proud that the NOLA players and I could honor that
historic context and it's feisty origins.